Dirty John's

[Tenacious E]

Where does this rank in a list of the most distinctive aspects of Iowa City? I would posit it is #1 or #2 with the other option being Melrose and its make shift parking lots on gamedays. I mean, how many deplorably dingy, yet nostalgically charming one off "grocery" stores are left in Iowa? For our Florida contingent, pictures are below. And I especially love the last picture showing where Iowa's butthole is in Ames.
Dirty John's:

Melrose:

 

[ThorneStockton]

Before the craft beer craze, let's call it 15 years ago. John's had one of the more impressive beer selections.

 

[Tenacious E]

Before the craft beer craze, let's call it 15 years ago. John's had one of the more impressive beer selections.

I would have no idea. In college if we were getting fancy it would be a Red Wolf of Bud Light Ice. I will say I did have some of the worst tasting beers ever from there: pig's eye, olympia, keystone ice, and beast ice.

 

[hawkbirch]

I vote Dirty Johns simply because you had to be a student or resident of Iowa City to know about it. Plus they kept my underage ass intoxicated for several years and that alone is worth a vote in their favor.

 

[Hawkbiz]

Before the craft beer craze, let's call it 15 years ago. John's had one of the more impressive beer selections.

Johns still has one of the best craft beer selections in Iowa. You can find things there that you can't anywhere else in Iowa City.

 

[Irwin Fletcher10]

I vote Dirty Johns simply because you had to be a student or resident of Iowa City to know about it. Plus they kept my underage ass intoxicated for several years and that alone is worth a vote in their favor.

Pic of underage ass?

I used to deliver beer to Dirty John's back in the 90's. I don't know how I never fell down those basement stairs with my 2-wheeler stacked with beer.

 

[JMNSHO]

Back in the day, people used to say, “nobody really calls it Dirty John’s” but plenty of people actually did. We just called it John’s mostly.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

Pic of underage ass?

I used to deliver beer to Dirty John's back in the 90's. I don't know how I never fell down those basement stairs with my 2-wheeler stacked with beer.

CSB time.

As a freshman I managed to get a fake ID that said I was 6'3" and like 190. At the time I was a scrawny 5'10 standing really straight and weighed maybe 140 soaking wet. That ID worked at only two places - Dirty Johns and the Field House. Dirty Johns was responsible for some legendary nights from 1990-1991 in Burge.

 

[Tenacious E]

Back in the day, people used to say, “nobody really calls it Dirty John’s” but plenty of people actually did. We just called it John’s mostly.

No one ever said to me no really calls it Dirty John's. It was, is, and will always be Dirty John's to me.

 

[Tenacious E]

CSB time.

As a freshman I managed to get a fake ID that said I was 6'3" and like 190. At the time I was a scrawny 5'10 standing really straight and weighed maybe 140 soaking wet. That ID worked at only two places - Dirty Johns and the Field House. Dirty Johns was responsible for some legendary nights from 1990-1991 in Burge.

Dirty John's was the source of the only mad dog 2020 I have ever consumed. And it tasted so much worse than it looked.

 

[Black Lab Hawk]

I can’t recall a single time anybody actually referred to it as dirty Johns. Johns is responsible for many lost memories during my 4 year stint in the GOAT.

 

[torbee]

Where does this rank in a list of the most distinctive aspects of Iowa City? I would posit it is #1 or #2 with the other option being Melrose and its make shift parking lots on gamedays. I mean, how many deplorably dingy, yet nostalgically charming one off "grocery" stores are left in Iowa? For our Florida contingent, pictures are below. And I especially love the last picture showing where Iowa's butthole is in Ames.
Dirty John's:

Melrose:

The best part is it is 1 block from my office! Super convenient and not only is the beer selection epic, they have a fantastic wine and liquor selection as well.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

I can’t recall a single time anybody actually referred to it as dirty Johns. Johns is responsible for many lost memories during my 4 year stint in the GOAT.

Huh. Maybe it is a timing thing? When I was in school (90-95) pretty much everyone called it Dirty John's.

 

[Tenacious E]

Huh. Maybe it is a timing thing? When I was in school (90-95) pretty much everyone called it Dirty John's.

93-97 for me and ditto*

*edited to note that was also how it was referred to in the early 2000s when I came back for round two of post graduate education.

 

[torbee]

The reason it was called Dirty John's, I believe, is because back in the 70s and 80s (maybe earlier?) they kept quite the library of porno mags behind the counter for purchase - something the "nice" grocery stores in town did not. Thus the name.

Once porn became ubiquitous thanks to the Internet, it is likely the moniker gradually faded.

Was definitely still called Dirty John's in my days as an undergrad (89-93).

 

[Black Lab Hawk]

Huh. Maybe it is a timing thing? When I was in school (90-95) pretty much everyone called it Dirty John's.

11-15 for me so maybe it was a timing thing. Or I just happened to ignore it. I have much confidence in the fact that the place made no major structural improvements or renovations between our respective times there!

 

[Tenacious E]

The reason it was called Dirty John's, I believe, is because back in the 70s and 80s (maybe earlier?) they kept quite the library of porno mags behind the counter for purchase - something the "nice" grocery stores in town did not. Thus the name.

Once porn became ubiquitous thanks to the Internet, it is likely the moniker gradually faded.

Was definitely still called Dirty John's in my days as an undergrad (89-93).

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

Huh. Maybe it is a timing thing? When I was in school (90-95) pretty much everyone called it Dirty John's.

I should also point out that Dirty John's was a significant contributing factor in my 5 year stint at the school instead of the normal 4. What I lost in education that first year I made up for with worldly experience.

God bless Iowa City.

 

[Jerome Silberman]

Before the craft beer craze, let's call it 15 years ago. John's had one of the more impressive beer selections.

I worked in the beer room 15 years ago. At the time we had the second or third largest selection in the country.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

I should also point out that Dirty John's was a significant contributing factor in my 5 year stint at the school instead of the normal 4. What I lost in education that first year I made up for with worldly experience.

God bless Iowa City.

Ditto

 

[beanerhawk]

I though the actual name of the place was Dirty Johns until I was quite a bit older, I was around in the early 90's also.

 

[2bagger22]

CSB time.

As a freshman I managed to get a fake ID that said I was 6'3" and like 190. At the time I was a scrawny 5'10 standing really straight and weighed maybe 140 soaking wet. That ID worked at only two places - Dirty Johns and the Field House. Dirty Johns was responsible for some legendary nights from 1990-1991 in Burge.

From what I understand, John's still employs a lax ID policy.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

From what I understand, John's still employs a lax ID policy.

As they should. I consider John's to be a modern day anti-prohibitionist leader.

 

[soybean]

I was in Viet Nam in 1971. We were guarding a water tower and search light. One day a column of South Korean Army troopers worked up the side of a hill about one mile away. We watched them all morning with a wary eye as these "Tigers" were some real bad asses. Anyway, eventually in mid afternoon they winded up in formation just on our edge, but maintaining good order. Their ramrod was a 20 something South Korean Army LT. He politely asked if he could cross over to the water tower. We, of course, agreed.

Once inside he started a conversation with us in English, Seemed like a nice guy. Anyway, at some point he asked "Any of you guys from Iowa?" When I spoke up he said that he had attended Drake Law School and loved Iowa, especially Iowa City...and "Dirty John's".

After they moved off I was so homesick...but I guess I was for the whole 13 months and 11 days.

 

[BigDelHawk]

So John had a daughter who worked in the deli back in the 1970's and 1980's. They used to have this sandwich, called the Veggie Deluxe, on a cheese roll. It was an incredible sandwich and was cheap. That and a bag of Sterzings was a go to meal at least once a week. Anyhow, back to the daughter. She was actually pretty smoking hot. In the Mid 80's she opened the Cottage Bakery in a little house near downtown. At least I think that is what it was called. I do not recall what the street it was on. Anyhow, she cashed in when they wanted to build an apartment on her property. The Veggie Deluxe at Johns died after she left. It was never the same.

 

[Tenacious E]

I was in Viet Nam in 1971. We were guarding a water tower and search light. One day a column of South Korean Army troopers worked up the side of a hill about one mile away. We watched them all morning with a wary eye as these "Tigers" were some real bad asses. Anyway, eventually in mid afternoon they winded up in formation just on our edge, but maintaining good order. Their ramrod was a 20 something South Korean Army LT. He politely asked if he could cross over to the water tower. We, of course, agreed.

Once inside he started a conversation with us in English, Seemed like a nice guy. Anyway, at some point he asked "Any of you guys from Iowa?" When I spoke up he said that he had attended Drake Law School and loved Iowa, especially Iowa City...and "Dirty John's".

After they moved off I was so homesick...but I guess I was for the whole 13 months and 11 days.

a literal csb

 

[soybean]

a literal csb

And I left out the best part.

 

[Tenacious E]

As they should. I consider John's to be a modern day anti-prohibitionist leader.

All signs point to my son attending Iowa in a few years. I am sure he will be testing that out...

 

[gojojo]

I should also point out that Dirty John's was a significant contributing factor in my 5 year stint at the school instead of the normal 4. What I lost in education that first year I made up for with worldly experience.

God bless Iowa City.

The only reason anyone should get through college in four years is if they are planning on grad school.

What I wouldn't give to be 22 and in Iowa city again.

 

[AuroraHawk]

Very fond memories from Friday afternoon alcohol runs from the Fall of 1986 and 1987 (Freshman and Sophomore) when we would walk from the dorms to purchase vast quantities of hard liquor to mix in our botas for the next day's football game.

Now I go there and spend ridiculous amounts on high ABV stouts. When they had a large Prairie Artisan release two years ago, I enlisted my mother to go there (I was in Des Moines) to pick me up a variety of the releases and I was looking to buy a case. When I told her it would be expensive and that I would provide a credit card number, she said "It's only $12 per 6-pack. I'll cover it for you." I said . . . "Umm, no. That's per bottle." She said - "Go ahead and give me that credit card number."

Dirty John's is definitely an Iowa City institution. When you get a t-shirt at the IC Tailgate store, you are definitely in that mix.

 

[Tenacious E]

And I left out the best part.

 

[torbee]

I worked in the beer room 15 years ago. At the time we had the second or third largest selection in the country.

I used to take friends from Madison - not exactly a tough place to find many, many awesome beers - down there in the 90s and they FREAKED OUT at how extensive it was.

Definitely one of the best beer sellers anywhere in America, let alone the Midwest.

 

[Lone Clone]

Where does this rank in a list of the most distinctive aspects of Iowa City? I would posit it is #1 or #2 with the other option being Melrose and its make shift parking lots on gamedays. I mean, how many deplorably dingy, yet nostalgically charming one off "grocery" stores are left in Iowa? For our Florida contingent, pictures are below. And I especially love the last picture showing where Iowa's butthole is in Ames.
Dirty John's:

Melrose:

Some of us remember when Dirty John's didn't have much of a beer selection, just kegs for a good price.

For iconic places, I'd put Hamburg Inn #2 up as a candidate. And Joe's and the 'Liner (although I seldom darkened the door of the latter, not being in a fraternity).

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

So John had a daughter who worked in the deli back in the 1970's and 1980's. They used to have this sandwich, called the Veggie Deluxe, on a cheese roll. It was an incredible sandwich and was cheap. That and a bag of Sterzings was a go to meal at least once a week. Anyhow, back to the daughter. She was actually pretty smoking hot. In the Mid 80's she opened the Cottage Bakery in a little house near downtown. At least I think that is what it was called. I do not recall what the street it was on. Anyhow, she cashed in when they wanted to build an apartment on her property. The Veggie Deluxe at Johns died after she left. It was never the same.

Cottage is now located at the corner of Gilbert and Benton. The veggie sandwich lives on, oh and more importantly, she’s still hot.

 

[Tenacious E]

Cottage is now located at the corner of Gilbert and Benton. The veggie sandwich lives on, oh and more importantly, she’s still hot.

Rules damnit

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

Rules damnit

She’s not around much at the deli these days. Her and her husband own a bunch of property in town and travel a lot.

 

[Tenacious E]

Some of us remember when Dirty John's didn't have much of a beer selection, just kegs for a good price.

For iconic places, I'd put Hamburg Inn #2 up as a candidate. And Joe's and the 'Liner (although I seldom darkened the door of the latter, not being in a fraternity).

Hard to argue with the Liner. Somehow for all of the time I have spent in Iowa City I never ate at the Hamburg Inn. I don't even know where it is.

 

[Tenacious E]

She’s not around much at the deli these days. Her and her husband own a bunch of property in town and travel a lot.

Is this her?

 

[torbee]

Cottage is now located at the corner of Gilbert and Benton. The veggie sandwich lives on, oh and more importantly, she’s still hot.

Can confirm.

 

[torbee]

Hard to argue with the Liner. Somehow for all of the time I have spent in Iowa City I never ate at the Hamburg Inn. I don't even know where it is.

Literally around the corner from John's, lol.

It's one of those places were some of the menu items are fantastic and some are very meh.

My go-to are the corned beef hash and eggs or the reuben.